Cap-forming mechanism



No. 6ll,632. Patented Oct. 4, I898.

E. HOFFMAN & R. P. FBIST.

CAP FORMING MECHANISM.

(Application filed May 10, 1898.) (No Model.)

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PATENT FFICEt EDMUND HOFFMAN AND ROBERT P. FRIST, OF BRIDGETON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND CHARLES E. E. WHITELEY, OF SAME PLACE, HENRY WHITELEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WILLIAM G. \VHITELEY, OF WILMINGTON, DELA'WARE.

CAP-FORMING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,632, dated October 4, 1898. Application filed May 1898. Serial No. 680,264. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDMUND HOFFMAN and ROBERT P. FRIST, citizens of the United States of America, residing in the city of 5 Bridgeton, in the county of Cumberland, in

the State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cap- Forming Mechanism, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference bero ing had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part thereof. v

Our invention relates to the construction of mechanism for forming caps such as are used for closing fruit-jars -or bottles and I 5 are provided with inwardly-extending lugs pressed out of the metal to engage with looking lugs or grooves on the receptacle with which they are used. Preferably we employ mechanism which in addition to forming the locking-lugs also corrugates the sides of the cap in order to provide a good hold for the fingers.

The leading feature of our invention consists in the employment of a mandrel or man- 2 5 drel-roll having retractable die-sections adapted for the formation of the inwardly-extending lugs, in combination with a ooacting diecarrier provided with dies adapted to operate in connection with the retractable dies of the mandrel.

The nature of our improvements, both in the general construction of the cap-forming mechanism and in detail, will be best understood as described in connection with the 5 drawings, in which they are illustrated, and

in which-'- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of amachine provided with our improvements. taken as on the line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale and partly in section, of the cap-forming mechanism. Fig. 4: is a cross-sectional view taken as on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective '45 View showing the mandrel-roll and retractable dies. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cap finished on the mechanism illustrated in the drawings, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of this cap.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional end View A indicates the frame of the machine,which, as shown, is formed with bearings A and A for the main shaft and with a further tubular bearing A serving as a bearing for the shaft H,.to be hereinafter described.

B is a tubular shaft working in the bearings A and A? and driven in the plan shown by the belt-wheel B. As shown, the tubu' lar shaft B has at its operative end a head B slotted, as indicated at B and terminating in a corrugating mandrel-r0110, formed with recesses C C, and it will be understood that any desired number of these recesses are to be provided in accordance with the number of inwardly-extending lugs which are to be formed upon the cap. 6

D D are pivot-pins secured in the head B and extending across the slot B and pivoted upon these pins are the die-sections-D D,

preferably formed with rearwardly-extending levers D as shown. The dies D extend into the recesses C and, as shown, are formed with terminal outwardly-extending lips D and recesses D having the conformation, or approximately. so, which it is desired to give to the lug formed on the cap.

- E is a longitudinally-movable roller workingin the tubular shaft B and, as shown, provided with a sleeve E at its outer end, with which engages a leverF, pivoted on an arm Ct of the frame A. At the other or operative end of the rod E we have shown it as formed with a contracted section E and a head E the outer edge E of which is rounded, while the extreme end E of the rod E moves in a guiding-bearing formed in the 8 5 end of the roller C. The conformation of the under side of the dies D and. of the head E is such that when the rod E is thrust forward or toward the left, as shown in the drawings, the head E presses the dies .D outward to 0 their normal operative position, while when the rod E has its head retracted or moved toward the right the dies D are permitted to move into the recesses C to such a degree as to permit the removal of the formed cap. We preferably form the rod E with the contracted portion E and form the dies D with a rearwardly-extending lever-arm D so that a backward motion of the rod E will not only release the dies, permitting them to be retracted from operative position, but by acting on the lever-arms D will also effect the retraction of the dies to a point where their engagement with the formed cap is released.

G is a gear-wheel secured on the shaft B and engaging with a gear-wheel G, secured on the end of a shaft H, supported in the sleeve-bearing A and having secured to its outer end a gear-wheel J. The shaft II also serves as a support and bearing for a bearing-piece I, which in turn forms a bearing for a shaft K and a support for an intermediate gearing J, engaged with the gear-wheel J and with a gear-wheel J 2 on the shaft K. The bearing-piece I is formed or provided with a stop-finger I, which in the operative position of the machine rests against a stopfinger A on the end of the sleeve A 1 indicates a handle or lever secured to the bearing-piece I, and I a weight secured on this lever and acting to normally hold the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

L, as shown, is at once a corrugating'roll adapted to work in connection with the corrugations of the roll 0 to corrugate a cap and also a die-holder carrying male dies L, adapted to work in connection-with the countersunk lug forming recess D 'of the retractable dies D. As shown and as preferably constructed, the dies L are formed integral with the corrugating-roll L.

M in Figs. 6 and 7 indicates the finished cap, which, as shown, has near its head an annular beading M, below which the body of the cap is corrugated, as indicated at M the corrugations being, however, interrupted by uncorrugated faces M in which are formed the inwardly-projecting locking-lugs M.

M indicates a washer or layer of cork or other elastic material lying on the inside and against the head of the cap and extending into the beading M, as shown. We may say here that the cap as shown posseses in itself features of novelty and forms the subjectmatter of another application for Letters Patent filed by us on the 29th of March, 1898, Serial No. 075,577.

The operation of the machine as illustrated is simple and easily understood. Caps uncorrugated and not provided with lugs are the blanks upon which the machine operates, and when it is desired to operate upon such a blank the workman by lifting on the lever 1 turns the bearing-piece I on the shaft II as a center and thus moves the roll L away from the roll 0. The cap-blank is then placed over the mandrel-roll O and the bearing-piece I restored to normal operative position, whereupon the rotation of the rolls 0 and L-the two rolls moving synchronously by reason of the gearing already explained-will effect the corrugation of the cap and the formation of the locking-lugs M whereupon the bearingpiece I is again swung away by the action of the lever I and the rod E retracted by means of the lever F, its operative head releasing the retractable dies D and preferably moving them inward, as described, so that the cap finished, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, can be withdrawn from the mandrel-roll.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for forming metal caps, a mandrel-roll having retractable die-sections D, in combination with a synchronously-rotating die-carrier, having dies, L, adapted to coact with dies D.

2. In a machine for forming metal caps, a corrugated mandrel-roll 0 having retractable die-sections D, in combination with a corrugated roll L, having dies L adapted to coact with dies D.

3. In a machine for forming metal caps, a I

hollow shaft B, having at one end a slotted section B and a mandrel-roll O formed with recesses O, in combination with pivoted dies I) pivoted in the slotted section and lying in the recesses C, a longitudinally-movable rod E working in the hollow shaft B and arranged when in one position to hold the dies D in operative position and in another position to permit their retraction, and a coacting synchronously-revolving die-carrier having dies L arranged to coact with dies D.

4. In a machine for forming metal caps, a hollow shaft B, having at one end a slotted section B and a mandrel-roll 0 formed with recesses C, in combination with pivoted dies D having lever extensions D pivoted in the slotted section B and lying in the recesses C, a longitudinally movable rod E having a neck-section E and head E working in the hollow shaft B and arranged when in one position to hold the dies D in operative position and in another position to permit their .retraction, and a coacting synchronously-1e volving die-carrier, having dies L arranged to coact with dies D.

EDMUND HOFFMAN. ROBERT P. FRIST. \Vitnesses:

HARRY R. COREY, SAMUEL IREDELL. 

